My Little Daisy
by G.V. Carreno
Summary: Ellie Swan and her older sister Bella had never been close while growing up but after Bella moves to Forks, Ellie finds herself caught up in her sister's relationship with the mysterious Cullen family while getting even closer to the La Push pack, temperamental Paul in particular. Loyalties are tested as she struggles to be both a part of the Quileute pack and the Cullen family.
1. Chapter 1

Turn it off!" Quil screamed with his hands over his ears. Jacob looked at the burnt burgers in horror as Embry fanned the smoke alarm. I laughed at them from my place on the counter.

"I think we should order pizza." I took the phone and started dialing the number to the old pizza place down by the beach. "Hey Neal. Four large pizzas, three supreme and one pepperoni. Thanks!" We squished onto the couch. Dad sat in the arm chair and Billy was stationed almost in front of the TV, screaming at the game. This is how most of our Sundays went and I loved it.

Ever since mom left with Bella, dad and I had spent most of our time in La Push- with the exception of school and work. I was raised and accepted amongst the Quileute people, despite my paleness. It never bothered me that I didn't grow up with my mom, dad did a fine job in raising me, with Sarah and Billy's help. I don't remember Sarah so well- we were all too little when Jacob's mom died. All I know is that Billy, my dad, the boys and I stuck together more than we ever had before.  
When all that was left of the pizzas were the empty boxes, dad announced that it was time to go since Bella would be coming home later tonight. The usual goodbyes were bid.

When we got home, dad dropped me off and started the drive to the small Port Angeles airport where Bella would arrive. I didn´t have too much time before they got back. It's not like we were having some big welcome home party but the house at least had to be clean. I missed Bella but neither of us really made an effort to see each other. Bella hated Forks and I had never given Phoenix much of a chance. That's why it was a surprise when Bella called a few months ago and asked dad if she could come stay with us for a while. Something about her not wanting to hold mom back.

I started cleaning the kitchen, then the living room. When I was done with the first floor I went upstairs to make sure Bella's room was neat and ready for use. After showering, I cleaned the bathroom that would now be occupied by the three of us.

I had just gone into the kitchen to start on dinner, baked potatoes- since it was the only thing I could cook without burning down the house, when I saw the cruiser pull into the driveway next to Bella's truck.

"Bella!" I went out the door just in time to see my sister jumping out of the cruiser and stumbling towards me. I laughed and quickly closed the distance. It had been too long. Dad smiled brightly at us as he took the suitcases inside.

I grabbed her hand & led her into her room. She studied it swiftly before turning to me and smiling, "I've missed you Lizzie" she said, using the childhood nickname she had given me back when we were kids.

"Me too Bells" I smiled and left her alone to unpack. Luckily none of us were really talkers. Dad grabbed a beer and sat in front of the TV like he does every day as I started on dinner. It looks like our routine wouldn't change, Bella would just be added into it all.

Tomorrow would be interesting. Forks High barely ever got new students so my sister would be subject to a lot of attention. I had the knife half way through a potato when I realized how odd that will be, I usually spent lunch alone on the bleachers or in the library. I didn't really have much friends in school since I spent most of my life in La Push. The friends I did have though were the ones you only talk to in class. I'm perfectly content with my wallflower status. But for Bella it would be completely different.

Bella excused herself from dinner. She said she was too tired from the traveling, but when I passed her door to get to my room, I heard her sniffling quietly. I can't imagine how hard it must be for her. Forks will be such a major change from what she has always called home. Especially with it being such a quiet and relatively uneventful town.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there! So this story will be parallel to the books' storyline. Ellie and Bella spend a significant amount of time together which means that you will know exactly where we are in the original story. Enjoy and thank you for reading!**

Breakfast was a quiet event. Dad didn't know what to say around Bella and it's not like she gave us anything to talk about either. He left first, saying, "Duty calls, girls." as he stood from the table and kissed us both on the forehead before walking out the door. I watched Bella as she looked around the kitchen and then at the picture frames hanging over our fireplace. Dad had all our school pictures since kindergarten and all our trips up until a few years back when we stopped visiting each other. There was the one from when we went to Disney and then the one where we're both in the mud with Jacob and his twin sisters, big toothless smiles on our dirty faces. The biggest one was my dad's favorite. We had gone to visit Bella and mom in Phoenix and 5-year-old me is touching a cactus while Bella is staring at me with her little mouth in the shape of an O. But even though that was usually the picture everyone stared at, I knew Bella's attention was on another one. In the very middle of it all, above the fireplace, was our parents' wedding picture from when they eloped in Las Vegas. Dad had never been able to fully get over mom. I had tried countless times to get him to go on dates but he wouldn't budge. He was a good looking guy, still had hair on his head and a long line of very interested woman but he never seemed to notice any of them.

Bella sighed. I watched her as she put on her humungous coat, that made her look more like a large piece of coal than a girl. When I opened the door Bella stopped me and stared with her brown eyes wide. "You're just wearing that to school?" I looked down at what I was wearing and smiled at our obvious contrast in outwear. Aside from her jacket, she was also wearing boots, a hat and gloves and under all that were probably three layers of long sleeved shirts. I, on the other hand, wore my usual hoodie and oversized jean jacket which I only ever switched for a leather jacket on the days when it was snowing.

"You'll get used to it Bells. And it's not even winter yet." she smirked and walked to the truck. The engine roared to life once she started it. Jake hadn't been able to fix it up more than this. The ride to school was in silence, as most things were with Bella. This gave me the chance to really look at her. It had been a while since we'd last seen each other, thankfully absent from each other's awkward years. We had looked almost like twins when we were younger, but now except for the pale skin, we didn't really look alike. Bella was slender. She had long, straight brown hair that stopped at her mid back and chocolate brown eyes. She had pretty, classic features which fit her perfectly. I, on the other hand, was petite, not too small though, 5'3 last time I checked. I had wavy light brown hair that had grown all the way down to rest at the top of my jeans and hazel eyes that were just a little too big for my face and disproportional to my small lips.

When we got to school she parked and got out of the car. "I'm going to go get my schedule and come back." She closed the door and stumbled and tripped her way to the office. Other cars started making their way into the parking lot. The Cullen's silver Volvo entered through the gates and parked in their usual spot. I smiled to myself, wondering when someone would fill Bella in on them. When they got to Forks, everyone talked about them for months. I mostly just admired from a distance like the rest learned to do. I sat next to Jasper, one of the Hale twins, in English but we never spoke much unless there was a partner project. That didn't stop me from being distracted by his presence though, how couldn't I? He was a beautiful boy, his blonde hair and blue eyes only less intimidating than his sister's.

Bella walked back to the car quickly, she started looking a little nervous when she saw the rest of the cars that were now in the parking lot. "Help me with the map? I don't want to look so lost." She took out her schedule and the map the office lady had given her. I looked it over and smiled widely.

"We have biology together!"

"We have a class together?" she lifted an eyebrow and looked closely at her schedule. I blushed, "I take some higher level classes" I answered shyly. That was something that didn't happen here often. My dad continuously bragged about it every chance he got. She nodded, looking impressed. We stayed in the car a little longer before Bella took a deep breath and whispered "I can do this." Before getting out of the truck. I smiled at her encouragingly as we made our way into the building. We parted ways but not before I assured her that she would be fine. We had already gotten some looks on the way inside, I'm sure she would have friends by lunch time.

Spanish was boring, like most days. I sat in the very back, waiting for the bell to ring even though class had started only 20 minutes ago.

"Hey Ellie!" I looked to my left. Mike Newton sat there with a huge smile plastered on his face. It was the first time he had ever talked to me. I didn't even know he knew my name.

"Um... hey." I looked back at the clock but felt his eyes still on me. "What's up Mike?" His smile, which had somewhat faltered at my lack of enthusiasm, returned to its previous state.

"I hear your sister's new to the school,"

And so did everyone else.

"And I was wondering if you could introduce me." He continued. I found it funny that he wanted me to introduce him, knowing that Mike was the type to just walk up to her and introduce himself all on his own.

"Sure, but she'll be in our biology class, you can talk to her then." He smiled widely and gave me a thumbs up. I held back a snort. Cheesy. But that was Mike Newton for you.

The rest of the day went by mostly the same way. People that had never talked to me for reasons other than necessary were asking me about Bella. Most of them wanted to know what she was doing here and others thought it was strange that she had left sunny Phoenix for such a small, rainy town like Forks. There were a few, like Eric Yorkie who also wanted me to introduce them and I finally understood why Mike had asked me first. Bella already had many admirers and it wasn't even lunch time. A little before lunch ended, I poked my head into the cafeteria and saw that Bella was sitting with Jessica Stanley at a table full of people. She would be fine there. When I turned around, I bumped into someone and quickly apologized before realizing that that someone had been Alice Cullen. She smiled widely at me, "Hello Ellie, don't worry, it was my fault." She went out the door before I had a chance to respond. I stood there shocked, even after the bell rang and people started making their way around me to the hallway.

In biology, I watched as Bella walked up to Mr. Banner, tripping over a textbook on her way down the aisle. He sent her to sit next to Edward Cullen. Everyone's eyes were on her as she sat down. Most people got bored after a while of staring and started passing notes or actually paying attention. After what felt like forever, the bell rang and Edward was gone. I'm pretty sure he got up at some point but if he did, I didn't see him. I was about to go talk to Bella when Mike Newton went up to her. Bella corrected him on her name. Hadn't I told him to call her Bella?

English was boring. We were working on Romeo and Juliet. I had already read it about 5 times in the past 2 years of high school so I just focused on my copy of Jane Eyre. "Elizabeth, could you answer the question?" I looked up from my book completely lost.

"Um..." Mr. Mason smirked at me and was about to open his mouth when I heard a faint whisper from beside me. "Benvolio." It was an easy enough answer that I would've known if I were paying attention. Mr. Mason narrowed his eyes at me but continued the lesson. "Thanks" I whispered back to Jasper. He smiled slightly and motioned to my book. As usual, that was the extent of our conversation.

When the final bell rang I took my time walking to the office where I knew Bella would be. I almost crashed into Edward on the way in. "Excuse you!" I yelled. He looked back at me, with what was probably the scariest look I had ever seen on a Cullen. Or on any human for that matter. Bella walked out of the office quietly, barely acknowledging that I was there. We sat in the car for a while, she didn't speak and I didn't ask. Finally, when I was on the verge of getting frostbite she turned on the car and we drove to the diner where we would wait for dad.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's snowing!" I sang loudly as I ran down the stairs in warmer clothes than I had been wearing these last few days. When I got to the kitchen I saw Bella's depressed face as she ate her cereal. "I know." her voice sounded just as sad as her face looked. On the way to the car I had to catch her a few times before she fell flat on her face and straight onto the ice. The whole way she muttered about how she hated the snow and how her clumsiness was going to kill her before the day ended.

The parking lot was full of happy people throwing snow balls, using the cars as shields. Bella's face was hilarious. She was paying extra attention to the road, a layer of ice had formed over it. I knew for a fact that dad had put chains on the tires before leaving for work but telling her this wasn't going to make her any less nervous. 

What happened next could be held up for debate. It happened in a matter of seconds but I saw everything clearly, from the moment I got out and rounded the truck, to the moment that Bella bent down to look at the tire chains. I was standing at the hood of the car when I heard the high-pitched screech. Bella looked up startled. I barely had time to look to where the noise was coming from. Tyler Crowley's big blue van was spinning wildly across the parking lot, the tires skidding on the icy road, and it was headed right for where Bella was standing.

Now, call me crazy but I'm sure I saw this right.

One moment Edward was standing on the other side of the parking lot and the next he was running to Bella, stopping the van right before it could crush her. He had her pinned to the ground, his hands making a dent in the van as he stopped it mere inches from her face. Before I had time to blink again he was gripping under the body of the van, swinging Bella's legs from the place that it had just landed. It felt like we were in a movie, the sound came back to the scene, like when the slow motion effect ends. The screaming started but my mind was going a mile a minute. Edward had literally run from his place on the other side of the parking lot & had stopped the van in less than the three seconds it would've taken for the van to crush my sister. And he had stopped it with his bare hands. And what could be even more confusing is the fact that I saw it clearly. Edward looked up at me, his golden eyes blazing, and then back down at Bella. "Please, Bella." Please Bella what? He looked back up at me, his eyes pleading with me. What the hell had just happened?

"Why?" she demanded stubbornly.

"Trust me," he pleaded, his voice sounded tortured, strained. He looked up at me again, the pleading look still there. I could hear the sirens now, soon dad would be here and he'd start freaking out. I couldn't listen to the rest of their conversation as more and more people crowded around us, crying and screaming. The paramedics finally got to us & asked me what had happened. I looked at Edward, his face looked paler than usual, his eyes kept pleading to me as he shook his head.

"T-tyler lost control of the van. It almost crushed them." I looked back in time to see him nod slightly at me as they loaded Bella into the ambulance. They made me ride in the front with Edward, ignoring Bella's pleas to let me ride with her. I was squished against his side. He was feezing, the shock of what had just happened clearly taking a toll on him too. I looked up at him but wished I hadn't. His face had turned back to the hostile, deadly one that he had shown that day in class. I shrank to the window and tried to put as much space between us as possible. "I won't tell anyone" I whispered. It was so low that I was surprised when his head snapped in my direction. His eyebrows furrowed over his golden eyes. If he didn't want anyone to know that he had stopped the van, I wasn't going to tell. It wasn't my place to tell and I'm pretty sure it hadn't been his intention to let me witness that. He seemed to relax, his shoulders slumping over a little.

"Thank you Elizabeth." His voice was like velvet, just like Jasper's. I looked up at him, "You can call me Ellie," my voice came out in more of a squeak than I had hoped for. He smiled slightly and gave me a curt nod. Aside from the fact that we were in an ambulance because of Bella's almost death and that my dad was going to freak out once he got to the hospital, I was able to sit back against the seat, still squished against the rock that was Edward, feeling completely comfortable.

"Bella!" I groaned. He wasn't supposed to find us yet. "Ellie!" his head poked in through the window, I let out a laugh, "I'm fine dad." He kissed my forehead and walked away. My dad, a man of no words.

We got a police escort to the hospital. I tuned out the noisy sirens of both the cruiser and ambulance. How had I done that? Had I always been able to do that? I've never needed glasses but all that happened in less than 3 seconds and I got it all perfectly clear. How had _he_ done that? He was on the other side of the parking lot and he stopped it with his hand! This is too much.  
Edward and I were instructed to go in and ask for Dr. Cullen. I was pretty sure we'd get him right away, especially since his son was involved. Edward guided me to the emergency room where Bella was, all the while not talking of course, and told me to wait for him there. The room was long. A dozen beds were lined up separated by ugly pastel curtains. I found Bella while she ripped the neck brace off. "You aren't supposed to take that off," I reprimanded. She just rolled her eyes and frowned at the wave of hospital personnel that were running in with another stretcher. As soon as there was a break in the crowd, Tyler Crowley began his never ending stream of apologies to my sister. She was wheeled away for her X-ray so he decided to switch his apologizing over to me until she got back. This went on for a few minutes until Edward and Dr. Cullen came into the room. Tyler began directing his apologies to Edward but with one gesture of his hand, Crowley shut up.

Ms. Swan, Ellie," He gave us both a curt nod. He looked over Bella's X-rays and told her to take some Tylenol for her pain. "And you Ellie? Edward said you that you didn't get hurt but that you might be in a bit of a shock." I was about to answer but quickly got interrupted by loud stomping and waving of hands. I looked closer and couldn't hold back my laughter.

"Ellie, thank God!" Sam Uley ran the short distance between us and swooped me up into his arms. I immediately felt warmer in the cold hospital. I laughed and hugged him back. "Emily got a call from one of the other teachers from your school. She said that the Swan sisters had been in an accident and nearly went into hysterics." He pulled back and began looking me over from head to toe.  
"Sam I'm fine." I whispered, just now noticing that the nurses were all looking at us, disturbed by the raucous. "I should take you to Emily's." He said, fatherly concern written all over his face. I simply nodded, remembering that my sister, Edward and Dr. Cullen were right next to us. Sam looked pointedly at Dr. Cullen, as if waiting to be denied the idea of taking me to La Push.  
Dr. Cullen smiled at us, "You look perfectly fine Ellie, you can go to school or stay home, whichever you choose. I'll give you an excuse either way." I thanked the doctor and let Sam lead me out the door and into the lobby.

Mostly everyone in town was in there waiting for us to get out. In the middle of everyone though was my dad, pacing as he stared at the ground. "Dad," I began calmly but my voice was muffled by his chest. He held me threateningly tight and kissed my head. "Daddy I'm fine." He looked me over the same way Sam had done and nodded before looking behind me. "Mr. Uley." They shook hands in greeting.

"Chief Swan, I was wondering if I could take Ellie to Emily's house. She heard of the accident and really wants to see her." Dad looked at me and I quickly hurried to explain before he asked any questions. "Dr. Cullen excused me from school and I have to go to La Push anyways later for tutoring." He smiled, before patting Sam on the back. Dad had always liked Sam, I think it was due to how much Billy liked him though. He then looked at me, "Go, before I tell Bella that I called your mom." I smiled widely and assured him that I would be home for dinner. Of course, dad calling my mom wasn't a problem at all for me. We never spoke anyways.

Sitting over a hill top was the small yellow house, flowers growing in all colors around the trees and front porch. I spotted the tools and wood panels up against the tool shed immediately. Emily's small cottage style home had expanded as the pack grew. That's why it didn't come as a surprise when Sam spoke next. "We have a new recruit. He phased a few days ago and he doesn't seem to have the best temper, so be careful." He warned.

"Should I even be here than? I can come back for tutoring some other time." I said half-heartedly. I always felt safe with the wolves, even after the accident. Emily had started tutoring me about a year and a half ago, that's around the time when Sam first phased. After Sam and Leah's breakup, Emily rejected every advance that Sam made towards her, even the innocent friendly ones. For a long time, I hated Sam. I couldn't understand how he could have broken up with a girl who loved him so much and then immediately seek out her cousin. I didn't understand until the day the accident happened. I was at Emily's house, eating cookies and cramming for my biology exam in the kitchen when Sam knocked on the door. I figured he didn't see me or didn't care because as soon as Emily opened the door he started begging. He told her that he understood if she didn't want to be with him but that he at least needed her in his life. Emily sighed, the way she does when she's getting impatient. They started arguing and soon they were in the kitchen, Sam's body was shaking and his breaths were coming out in huffs. Every time that he looked like he was calming down, Emily would say something and it would start all over again.

I can't remember exactly what was said that finally took him over the edge but at one point the shaking got worse and soon paws took the place of hands, its claws slashing something in its way. There was a monster in the kitchen- a huge, black horse-sized bear looking thing. And Emily? She was on the floor, blood gushing out of the wounds that I realized had been caused by the beast. I screamed like any normal person would and ran straight out of there and to the Clearwater's house. Sue Clearwater was the town nurse. I ran into the house, not waiting to be let in and found Sue on the couch. "Sue! Sue you have to come quick!" She tried calming me down but I was frantic. "Something just attacked Emily! It was huge like a horse but I think it's a bear!"

Sue's eyes went wide and immediately reached for her phone. "Ellie listen to me, you will stay here till I tell you to, okay?"

After that I stayed with Seth and Leah, we waited on the couch for hours before finally getting a call. Emily was safe. Weeks passed and after many visits to the hospital I realized that Sam was going to be a permanent fixture by Emily's side. Even after she got the okay to go home he was always there… but so was I. I'm sure they realized that I wasn't going anywhere which is why they decided to tell me their secret during breakfast one day. The Councils only condition for telling me was that I would strictly know the necessary, nothing else. This was mostly Billy's condition more than anyone else's. He didn't want me to know more because he believed that it was too big a responsibility to put on his best friend's daughter's shoulders. After that I was considered part of the pack and soon Jared joined too.

Sam laughed, "We both know that you don't mean that. You can stay but like I said, be careful."

I hadn't even gotten the chance to step into the house when I was suddenly in Emily's arms. Sam chuckled and passed us into the kitchen. "Oh honey, how are you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She looked me over just like Sam and dad had done earlier. When she was positive that I was still whole she led me into the kitchen. And immediately screamed, "Guys, those were for Ellie!"  
Jared and Sam were sitting at the small kitchen table, their mouths full of cookies. On the other side of the table sat someone new. He had a chocolate chip cookie half way in his mouth and had already been reaching for another one before Emily caught them. I smiled shyly from the entrance, waiting for someone to introduce us. He smiled widely and waved.

"Ellie, you know Paul." My eyes went wide. Paul Lahote? It was a widely known fact that Paul's home life wasn't the best. I couldn't imagine him having the werewolf gene since most of the families that were descendants of the shapeshifter line were highly regarded in the tribe. I knew why I hadn't recognized him before. His signature shoulder length hair that had always been held back by a rolled up bandana, was now cut short. He looked bigger, taller and well defined. He wasn't as muscular as Sam or Jared but he looked like he was getting there. Paul and Jared were best friends since before anyone can remember, but Jared had always been the social one while Paul usually kept to himself, intimidating everyone from afar. They were known for breaking hearts left and right.

"Yeah, hey" I said. He had frozen mid wave- his eyes focused completely on me. He was watching me intently as I pulled the only empty chair out and sat down next to Jared. Paul reached across the table to hand me the cookie he was about to get, which also happened to be the last one. I smiled a thank you and tried to focus on anything other than his face, hoping that my blush didn't show.

"So tell us what happened! Emily here almost had a heart attack." Jared spoke, cookie crumbs flying out of his mouth. Paul barked out a laugh and threw his napkin at Jared. "Emily had a heart attack? You almost cried!"

"I did not! I was just worried for little Ellie here." I ignored the fact that he called me little. As if I were any younger than him. "We heard that you were dead but that's obviously not true."

Emily whacked him on the head with her spatula. "Would you just let her tell the story?" A mountain of peanut butter cookies appeared at the center of the table, still steaming from the oven. I nibbled quietly on one as I tried to figure out what I wanted to tell them. I could very well say, "Well, Edward was on the other side of the parking lot and ran over to Bella, catching the van before it killed her." But I didn't. I promised Edward I wouldn't say anything and for some reason that seemed like a secret that I should keep. "Well, it was all a really big blur. Edward Cullen and Bella were talking and I had just gotten out of the truck when out of nowhere Tyler Crowley's van comes straight at them! I don't really know what happened after that." And that was the truth. I didn't know what happened after that because I couldn't believe that I had seen what I saw. How did I do that? It all happened so fast yet I saw it so clearly. No one else saw what I saw. Other than Edward of course and Bella… I would have to ask her about that later. Or maybe I shouldn't…

I hadn't realized that I had been staring into space when I looked around the table and everyone's eyes were on me. All the good humor had gone, replaced with a tense silence. Sam was the first to speak up. He cleared his throat and spoke as casually as possible, "Bella talks to the Cullens?" I looked at him, the confusion evident on his face. What did he care?

"Only Edward, they're lab partners." I said quietly, studying Emily and the guys. She was trying her best to look busy cleaning the crumbs off the table but I could see her eyes flickering to Sam every few seconds. They all nodded slowly.

"That's nice. Are you friends with him?" Emily asked, putting on her oven mitt.

"No, but I sit next to Jasper in English."

"Which one is that one?" Jared asked me.

I looked at the three twenty-year-old looking boys, more confused than ever at their interest in the Cullens. "The blonde one."

Paul's eyes widened, in utter terror. "Ellie you need to switch seats." I laughed at the look on their faces. Their eyes were all bugging out of their sockets and Paul looked like he was having muscle spasms. His nostrils were flaring and you could feel the waves of heat radiating off of him even from the other side of the table. Despite my pale complexion.

"Calm down Paul." Sam's voice had gotten deeper, animalistic. Paul looked at Sam then back at me. You could cut the tension with a knife but I couldn't figure out why.

"Ellie," Emily said, moving closer to me. "How about we start studying for that calculus exam?" and with that Paul stood from the table still shaking and ran to the back yard, with Sam and Jared flanking him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! For those of you who have already read Chapter Three, I made a change that will affect the storyline so I strongly advise that you go back and read it again. Even if just from the point where Sam gets to the hospital. Thanks!**

I sighed as I looked out the window. No rain. I think I'm probably the only person in the entire state that's in a better mood when it rains. Bella was, of course, elated by the lack of water.

People didn't look at Bella as much as they had last week after the accident but I was still being bombarded with questions in every class. Mike kept asking me if she'd ever had a boyfriend, what type of guy she liked, if she liked turkey in her sandwich. And then he told me about wanting to make Bella lunch one of these days because she never seems to eat. I actually thought that was kind of sweet.

Lunch was pretty much the same as every day. Alice said hello to me and I was still just as shocked. Bella found me on the hallway floor this time, where I had been eating lunch & then we walked alongside Mike to Biology. After what looked like an awkward encounter with Mike, Edward and Bella had finally begun talking as far as I could tell from across the room.

When I got into English, I plopped down onto my seat and took my book out. "Hello Ellie" a soft velvety voice spoke from beside me. I turned slowly to look at Jasper with narrowed eyes. He was being weird and I wasn't afraid to let him know that I thought so. He was smiling though, waiting for me to greet him back, clearly unfazed.

I simply smiled, still too confused about the change in character that most of the Cullen family had acquired. He looked satisfied and looked back at the board. I had thought about it a lot in the past few days. Why were they taking an interest in me? Why now? Was it cause of Bella? Was this a way of getting to her through me? That still didn't make sense though. So was it that they finally felt like being social? I was a good place to start I guess. Whatever it was, it was slightly unnerving. We worked together on the worksheet Mr. Mason handed out but we didn't talk. Complete silence. When one of us would finish a question first, the other would copy. My loopy handwriting looking sloppy next to his perfect one. We all walked out of class as soon as the bell rang. "Goodbye Ellie!" This time a more cheerful voice sang my name. Jasper was standing next to Alice, a beaming smile on her face.

"Bye!" I smiled at them, trying to make myself seem friendlier than I felt and made my way to the parking lot where I found Bella motioning for me to hurry up from inside the truck. I started walking slower, exaggerating every step, but decided to humor her after she let out a visible huff and started the engine.

"That wasn't funny! We have to go now." She said as she bounced her knees up and down, looking out her rearview mirror. I followed her eyes with my own, Edward's Volvo was blocking the way.

"So what's going on exactly?" I said.

"Did you hear about the spring dance? Something about girls asking guys? Apparently it's a big thing. Both Mike and Eric have brought it up already. And now Edward won't move his stupid car!"

Once Bella starts using words like "stupid" you know that it's serious. Even as a kid she was so mature. The few times that I saw her get flustered they were accompanied by words like that. It was funny how that personality trait hadn't changed, even after all this time. The girls ask guys dance was a big thing around here. The one and only time that I went I took Jacob with me. I wasted a lot of time and energy making sure that he looked presentable but in the end I was the one that suggested we ditch the dance and go to one of the La Push High bonfires that they held every weekend at First Beach, the part of the beach that was used solely by the reservation residents.

A breeze suddenly made its way into the truck as Bella cranked her window all the way down. Tyler Crowley appeared as if by magic, a big smile on his face. She apologized for the holdup, glancing back at the mirror, the annoyance evident on her face.

"It's alright- I was just thinking and I thought it'd be great to go to the dance together. So will you ask me?"

Bella's cheeks got pink as she said "I'm not going to be in town, Tyler." Her tone sharper than necessary.

"Well, what about your sister?" He started before looking at me, "Ask anyone yet?"

I gave him an incredulous look and before either Bella or I could say anything he winked and walked back to his car. We stared at each other in shock before Bella's attention was turned to the silver Volvo behind us. The rest of the Cullen siblings slid into the car before it sped away. Bella sighed and started the drive home. After a lot of sighing on her part she finally spoke, "I'm stopping at the store. I think I'll make chicken enchiladas for dinner."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there! I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who is following my story and reviewing! I appreciate it very much. I am still trying to figure out what day of the week will be easiest for me to upload a new chapter. Writer's block is real and I write as I go, which is especially hard with my unpredictable work schedule. Anyways, I'll be going through Twilight a little faster than the rest of the books. The chapters before we go into New Moon are mostly so that you guys learn the relationships that Ellie has with the characters and to set up important storylines for the future. With that in mind, this chapter is a bit short but I have another one on the way. Thanks again! Enjoy!**

I slipped out of the house unnoticed, usually dad left for work before Bella and I got up in the morning making it easy to skip school the few times that I had done it. I reserved personal days for important situations like cramps, but today can be that one exception. I slipped a note under Bella's door letting her know that I wouldn't need a ride to school before walking the short distance to the bus stop and caught the bus that dropped me off closest to Emily's house.

She wasn't happy to see me.

"Why aren't you in school?" she said in the motherly tone that she reserved for when we were misbehaving. She let me in anyways and I kissed her cheek on the way in. Ever since I met Emily she has acted more like my mom than a friend. It never bothered me. I took my usual spot at the kitchen table and watched as she started cooking a buffet of breakfast food for the guys. They had been on patrol all night. The sliding double doors on the far side of the kitchen led to the backyard and forest where they usually came in through. She kept them open, letting the cold breeze of the morning pour in.

The coffee had just finished brewing when the sound of thunderous footsteps sounded off the walls. "Why aren't you in school?" I heard Sam repeat the same thing that Emily had said earlier as he walked in the kitchen. Jared and Paul were flanking him on either side. As per usual, they greeted me with a hug and kiss on the cheek. Paul always lingered a little longer, something that I was embarrassed to admit that I had noticed.

"Well if you must know I decided to take a personal day, it's a half day at school anyways so I won't miss much." I said matter-of-factly, "I was going to be around later anyways, it's dinner at Jacob's tonight." I didn't miss Paul's quick glance at me when I mentioned Jake. Every time I had mentioned him in the last couple of weeks, Paul had somehow reacted. It was strange to say the least but I was trying not to think too much into it.

Sam gave me his best look of disapproval. He had only recently graduated high school but he had mastered the scary dad look the moment he became the pack's Alpha. Instead of lecturing me though he directed his attention to the guys. "Get to school. Neither of you can afford to be late again today. And you," He continued, pointing at me "Wait for me to take you to Jacob's tonight. I don't want you walking around these woods. We've been smelling some oddities."


	6. Chapter 6

Bella and I had taken to doing our homework together at the kitchen table. When we were done I'd stand next to her as she started dinner and tried learning how to make the different meals that she cooked. Today she seemed a little more distracted than usual, she hadn't turned the page since we sat down half an hour ago.

"Can I ask you something?" Without waiting for me to answer she continued, "So you know how I went to First Beach the other day? Well I ran into Jacob and he started telling me about some legends…"

"The tribe legends?" I said without looking up from my math homework. These were legends that I had heard a thousand times while growing up. Billy would tell them as bedtime stories for me and Jacob when we were kids. I knew them by heart and secretly had always believed they were real. This was something that The Council had not been too happy with.

"Mhm, he told me about the Cold Ones."

I put my pencil down, confused. The legends were practically engraved in my mind yet I couldn't remember ever hearing about the Cold Ones. I looked up at Bella, the confusion surely evident on my face as I waited for her to continue. "I've never heard of that one… what was it about?"

She bit her lip, a blush rising to her cheeks. "I don't remember much about it but he told me that the tribes' werewolves were triggered by the presence of the Cold Ones. He described them in a way that almost made them sound like vampires." She looked away from me and continued, "Do you think that the legends are… well, do you think that they're real?"

Vampires… that seemed possible. I always wondered if there were other mythical beings. If there were werewolves than there had to be vampires. This was turning more into a Hollywood teen movie than I thought was possible. I had asked them countless times if they were the only ones but their answer was always that in order for me to be allowed to know about the pack, I was to be on a need to know basis. In my opinion this was definitely a need to know situation especially if there were vampires around… which would explain why Paul phased… and why they didn't want me walking around the woods.

"Lizzie?" Bella waved a hand in front of my face. "What do you think?"

I tried to look as convincing as possible and shrugged. "The newer generation believes that they're just legends. I grew up hearing them as bedtime stories about spirit warriors who protected the tribe. The only ones who believe that they are true are people like Jacob's dad and his friends but that's because their parents were very involved in the tribe council." And that was the end of that conversation. If I kept talking I would reveal actual information about the pack. Not to mention that Bella's interest for some reason made me uneasy as if I was breaking my own pack's treaty.

After dinner I sat on the couch with my dad. I tried focusing on the game but my conversation with Bella was still bothering me. Why had she been so curious? As far as everyone was concerned they were just legends. The type that unless you have a reason not to, you forget about after hearing them. I did want to know about the Cold Ones though. Why would they hide this from me? It seemed important enough for me to know. I obviously couldn't bring it up with Bella again and Sam would never tell me. Unless… "Dad?" I said, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah hun?" his eyes were still focused solely on the TV, his body angled forward ready to jump in the game himself.

"Do you remember where the box of Sarah's stuff is?"

This got his attention. He sat back and pointed to the attic opening in the hallway. "You know, I hadn't mentioned it before but I'm really glad that you've had Emily these past two years. And now you have Bella back too. When Sarah passed I was really worried that you wouldn't have someone to look up to." The Black family had been the glue that kept us together after my mom and Bella left. Jacob's mom would invite us for dinner every night and I quickly warmed up to her as my mother figure. When she passed, it was hard on all of us. Jacob's sisters were much older and left as soon as they could. For a really long time it was just me and the guys and as I grew older I could tell that my dad had become increasingly worried that I didn't have a woman to help and guide me especially when I stopped going to Phoenix. When I met Emily, dad was more than happy to let me spend most days with her. We even went to her house for Christmas last year.

I hugged him tight and kissed his cheek before getting up and opening the attic. Neither of us liked going up here. We kept the Christmas decorations close to the opening so that we wouldn't have to go searching through all the boxes of memories that we would rather not revisit. As I stood in the middle of the large room and looked around I spotted everything that we had tried to avoid past the Christmas boxes. There was Bella's old baby crib which had been passed down to me and some of our old toys. When I grew old enough, I changed some of the decorations that my mom had used in the house in hopes of helping my dad move on so those were up here too. I walked past a few big portraits and my late grandparents' belongings. In the corner, on the far left, was a small box labeled _Sarah_.

Sarah had left most of her belongings to her immediate family but the day of the funeral, Billy had given me a small sealed cardboard box. He said that Sarah had left it specifically for me and that even he didn't know what was in it. The box held a scarf of hers that I would always use for playing dress up, a locket that she wore most days and a few other small tokens that I had always loved of hers. At the very bottom though, she had put a scrapbook. It held the legends that she had written down herself. I knew that I wasn't supposed to have these. No one outside the tribe could know about the legends let alone have them in writing. For this reason, I kept the book a secret.

I stayed up in the attic for a good while. The reason why I couldn't remember the legend of the Cold Ones was because they weren't meant to be bed time stories. The legend told of dangerous angelic creatures who fed on the blood of humans. It made sense that I hadn't heard them as a child. Now as I sat on the floor with new knowledge of the world I lived in and the open book on my lap, I saw something that I hadn't noticed before. In the back cover there was a slit that if it hadn't been for the paper sticking out of it, I wouldn't have seen. I carefully slid it out of the cover. It was a letter… from Sarah. My heart was pounding a mile a minute as I unfolded the paper, revealing the beautiful handwriting that I recognized. It read:

 _My beautiful Ellie,_

 _When you read this I won't be around anymore, but know that I'll be with you in spirit. I hope you have kept this book a secret, and knowing you I'm sure you have. I made it so that you wouldn't find this letter unless you were looking for answers. Hopefully you've found them and I'm so sorry that I wasn't around to tell you myself.  
You were always a dreamer even with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Out of all my kids you were the one with the wildest imagination, in a time like this I'm going to need you to use it.  
Stay close to Billy, believe the legends and most importantly try to stay safe._

 _Love, Your mom… for all intents and purposes_


	7. Chapter 7

I'm back! It took me forever to publish this and for that I am very sorry. Writer's block is a strange thing and when it mixes in with work and other troubles…. It's even worse. I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has favorited this story and a special thank you to the ones who have left a review. It means the world to me that you are reading and liking. Let me know what you guys think about this chapter!

I didn't sleep that night. I had inadvertently figured out a secret that I wasn't meant to know. I didn't know anything about vampires. I didn't know exactly how dangerous they were or what they could do. The pack had deliberately chosen to hide this from me, so to say that I was scared was an understatement. I had thought about confronting them at first but convinced myself against it after mulling over the idea for some time. That would be foolish of me.

Ever since the van incident I have known that something is different about Edward and if something is different about him than something is different about the whole family. By the time Bella had parked in our usual spot my mind was made. The plan was to not put myself in a position where I would be in danger. I just had to go back to believing that the Cullens were a group of incredibly beautiful human beings just like everyone else did.

My decision to pretend as if I were clueless turned out being pointless. The second I got to my locker, I felt a cold hand clasp around my arm. I gasped, the temperature and strength shocking me. I was surprised when I looked up and saw Edward. He looked calm. His face not giving anything away.

"Edward don't hold her arm like that. She'll bruise!" I looked back and saw Alice and Jasper walking behind us. Alice skipped between Edward and I, tenderly lacing her arm through mine. "You'll have to forgive Edward. He forgets how breakable humans are when he's upset."

My mouth was agape. Somehow, we had gotten to the bleachers at an impossible speed. On one hand, I wanted to ask them everything but on the other hand I wanted to run away screaming. I tried to open my mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come out.

"At least you have more of a sense of preservation than your sister." Edward said, "The fact that you even considered confronting us about this is beyond me. I was impressed when you decided to stay quiet about it."

"Wait. How did you know that?" I asked.

"Edward can read minds." Alice said matter-of-factly.

"How did you even figure it out?" Jasper said.

"Do you even have to ask? You just said that Edward can hear my thoughts." I said, the words sounding harsher than I had intended. The three vampires stared at me quizzically. We were all here because we wanted answers but it didn't seem like I was going to get any before them. I sighed, "I can't tell. Edward already knows and he'll tell you but if I say it than I'll be betraying the trust of people who I care about. I'm sure you can understand what that feels like."

Alice and Jasper didn't seem happy with my answer but that's all I would say and they knew it. What I didn't understand is why they had been so friendly towards me ever since the semester started. It didn't make sense that I was invisible before and then now, for some reason, they could see me.

"You became… visible, as you're putting it, when Alice was able to see your future entwine with ours. The closer Bella and I got the more she seemed to appear in her visions and you as well." Edward said, sounding defeated. "Yes, Alice can see the future and I can read minds. No, we aren't the only ones who have these types of abilities." He continued, answering the questions that I had been thinking.

Jasper knelt in front of me, the way a father would to their young child and looked me straight in the eyes. "We are going to need you to keep our secret the same way that you are keeping your friends'. We have gone through a great deal of trouble to keep our family safe and at peace… we cannot risk this getting out. I'm just glad that you and Bella are sisters so that we can keep an eye on you both at the same time."

Before I had a chance to answer, Alice jumped up and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, this is wonderful! You must meet the family! Bella will be meeting them soon too." She exclaimed.

Edward let out what could only be described as a growl when he slowly said, "Alice, I still haven't decided." Pronouncing every letter.

"Yes, you have and now you must because Ellie and Bella know our secret without us having consulted with our parents. It's time for Carlisle and Esme to meet them." Alice grabbed Jasper's hand as she turned on her heel and made her way down the bleachers saying, "I'll let you know when we decide on a date and time."

And with that, the three vampires were gone.

I wasn't exactly sure what to wear to a dinner with a family of vampires. I peeked into Bella's room a few minutes ago, but she looked like she had the same dilemma as I do. I went with a loose white button down, cuffed jeans and black flats.

It hadn't taken Alice long to decide when we would be coming over. She had caught up with Bella and I after school that same day to tell us that we were invited to their home Saturday at noon. Bella looked surprised to find out that I also knew their secret but didn't question it till now at the kitchen table as we waited for Edward to come pick us up.

"So how did you find out exactly? It took a lot of research on my part." She said as she set down the coffee mug that she uses every morning.

I wished so much that I could tell Bella exactly how I knew about vampires but every time that I felt like I could tell her, something wouldn't let me. It was far stronger than loyalty to my friends but I had no idea how to describe it. "Well I did grow up hearing the legends… and then you asked me about it and you were also spending time with Edward. I just put two and two together I guess."

She looked convinced but like something still bothered her "Okay… but how did you get past how silly it sounds? I didn't fully believe it till Edward showed me. Did one of them show you?"

"Bella I was practically raised on the Reservation. The legends are a big part of their culture and dad is friends with the council, they all believe the legends and passed them down to us. I always believed they were at least a little true."

"So are the werewolves real?" She asked.

Again, I felt that lump in my throat and tightening of my chest. I opened my mouth to deny it but even those words wouldn't come out. Thankfully there was a soft knock at the door before Bella could question me more. She quickly stood up and made her way to the door.


	8. Chapter 8

The house was completely breathtaking. The completely white structure was three stories tall with a beautiful porch that wrapped around the outside. Somehow it was modern yet timeless. Hidden under the shadows of six ginormous cedar trees. When I stepped out of the car I realized that I could hear the river that ran through the back of the house but could barely see it through the thickness of the forest. The scenery on the ride here had been pretty much the same, a vast number of trees towering over the trail that led to this beautiful house. If I had to find my way back it would be very difficult.

"Ellie?" Edward called out from the porch. I hadn't even noticed when they had left the car. He was holding Bella's hand tenderly in his. You could see, even from a distance, how careful he was with her. It hadn't been long since they had started dating but they already looked like they were a part of each other... almost inseparable.

I walked up the large porch, feeling like it was too spacious for just one person to walk alone. Edward opened the door and let us in. I laughed, the porch had felt too big but the inside of the house looked like it was eight times the size of the outside. It was bright and very open. It was beautifully decorated. The back wall was completely glass allowing me to finally see the river that I could hear from the front lawn. It reminded me a bit of a larger version of Emily's backyard. To the left of where we were standing there was a massive staircase that curved all the way up to the third floor, which could be seen from where we were. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the floors, and everywhere else that you looked were all varying shades of white. The only thing that wasn't white was the grand piano that was nestled into one of the corners of the glass wall.

"It's beautiful…" I could hear the wonder in my own voice.

"Thank you. It took me a while to really figure out a style that fit everyone's taste." The sweet, melodic voice had come from the woman who I assumed had to be Edward's mother. She stood next to Dr. Cullen at the foot of the stairs. She was outrageously beautiful. Her hair resembled mine in texture and color but while mine looked brushed in a hurry, which it had been, hers looked as if she had just left the hair salon. I'm sure that that's how it always looks. Her features were warmer than the others'. She had a very motherly look to her. "It's nice to meet you Ellie. I'm Esme, Edward's mother." She made no move to leave her place next to her husband. I noticed she did the same when introducing herself to Bella.

"It's nice to see you both again," Dr. Cullen stepped forward and shook both our hands. "Welcome to our home."

After he stepped away, Esme walked to us, almost cautiously, and did the same. Her grasp just as stone cold as Dr. Cullen's but softer. Something about her reminded me of my own mom. Maybe it was the similarity in hair- I looked more like mom, the way Bella looked more like dad. Or possibly the warmth in her eyes. Maybe it was something else but I couldn't make sense of it.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen" Bella said, barely above a whisper.

"You can both call me Carlisle. I'm sure you'll be around often enough." He smiled at me reassuringly. I wondered where the rest of the family could be. Just then I saw Alice and Jasper walking down the stairs. I was surprised at the silence of their steps.

"Hey Edward!" Alice called enthusiastically before calling out both mine and Bella's names in the same way and kissing our cheeks. I immediately felt the mood in the room shift. It was tense and stayed that way long enough for me to see the astonishment evident on Carlisle and Esme's faces and Jasper's wide eyes before feeling a sense of calm wash over me as Jasper spoke.

"Hello Bella." He nodded curtly at my sister and then crossed the space between us slowly and from a distance, like the one he kept between us in class, shook my hand. "Ellie."

"It's been too long." I smiled wide and shook his hand with a good amount of strength. Alice giggled before taking my hand and guided us away from the others.

"Edward is going to play the piano, how about we give them some privacy."

She led me up the staircase and into the third floor. On this floor, there were actual rooms. We walked through a short hallway, passing three bedrooms, and into another space much like the first floor but smaller. We sat at a small living room area facing the south wall which was also completely glass. From way up here you could see past the tree tops. My town was beautiful. The vast greenery and rain was comforting. I would never understand how Bella could hate it.

"What are you looking at Ellie?" Alice asked. I smiled, a little embarrassed that I had been caught staring at trees.

"I like the view." I stated simply.

"Well, we actually wanted to talk to you about something. We wanted Edward around so that he could explain everything better but he's a bit preoccupied at the moment." Alice and Jasper shared a look that I didn't understand but decided against asking. "Edward told us that you noticed something strange about the van accident. You feel like you saw more than you should have."

"Yes, everything was really clear. As if I was seeing it in slow motion like in the movies." I said.

Jasper nodded in understanding, "It's interesting because your mind is fuzzy to Edward but you're slightly more… in-tune, with your surroundings and when that comes into action your thoughts are loud and clear." Alice continued. "The other day, when we confronted you at the bleachers, you questioned why you had been invisible to us until then. Carlisle believes that it is because of the physical barrier that you must have. The same way that Bella's mind is invisible to Edward even though he knows it's there, you are to us physically. We can sense you but unless we intentionally pay attention to you, you don't attract our attention. I'm assuming that that is the reason why Jasper has been able to sit next to you in class every day for two years."

"If you were both to ever become like us, your abilities would most likely develop into something greater. It would definitely be interesting to simultaneously put them to the test." Jasper said. I felt a wave of excitement hit me.

"Of course, that would be your choice." Alice said quickly, shooting Jasper a disapproving look. "It will always be your choice to become like us or not." She spoke as if I was already a part of the family.

Jasper cleared his throat and smiled apologetically. "That is true. Excuse my excitement, it is just that its quite something to imagine that you could both play off each other's abilities."

"I understand," I said. "It's just a lot to take in." I stared off into the forest again. Wondering how beautiful it must be with their perfect vision.

"We can go out there one of these days." Jasper said. I hadn't noticed that they had been watching me. I could feel a blush make its way onto my face, covering my cheeks. "If you like it so much, Jasper and I have a spot that we always go to. We can take you there one day." Alice said, her voice hopeful.

"I would like that." I smiled. "I used to go into the forest a lot when I was younger with my friends in La Push but we stopped doing that a few years back. Our parents started getting worried because of all the animal attacks…" I trailed off, the blush burning now. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean-"

Alice hurried to stop my apology. "It's okay. That wasn't us. When we hunt we go far away to make sure that no one crosses our path. The problem with us staying anywhere for an extended period is that the nomads that do happen to cross our scent become a little too curious."

"Vampires who haven't adopted our diet can't settle down anywhere because they'll be discovered or run out of food supply. Which is why we use the term nomads." Jasper explained.

I nodded in understanding. This was a lot to take in.

"It's settled than! We'll take you to our spot one of these days. We can take a picnic basket, for you of course, so you'll have to give me a list of your favorite foods. Actually, you'll probably have to help us cook it too because-" Alice sat up straighter than before and stared off.

I'm sure Jasper saw how confused I was because he leaned in and quietly said, "She's having a vision."

"A what?" I asked.

Alice seemed to come back to reality and laughed. "I can see the future and Jasper can control emotions. I'm sorry Ellie, I hadn't realized that we forgot to tell you. We thought that maybe Bella would have shared what she knew with you."

"She actually didn't know that I knew till this morning before we came over." I said before asking what the vision had been about.

"That's very interesting." Jasper said, his eyes narrowing.

Alice stood up, smoothing out any wrinkles on her dress. "There's a storm coming." She smiled and jumped up and down like a little girl. She took my hand like before and led me back the way we'd come. "Let's go tell Edward!".


	9. Chapter 9

"Dad almost didn't let me come. If it hadn't been for the fact that you were here I don't think I would've been able to." Bella said, exasperated.

"Did you tell him that I have to leave before the game even starts?" I said. Dad had been uncharacteristically overprotective with Bella ever since he heard that she was spending time with Edward. He tries his best to hide it but he forgets that I know him too well.

"I didn't give him any information that wasn't asked." Bella answered with a playful smile.

"So I finally get to meet the famous Swan sisters!" A deep voice boomed from behind us. "They were smart to leave me for last." Emmett Cullen's lips had twisted into a devilish grin. He walked up to us with both hands extended to take ours. "It's nice to officially meet you both." He kissed our hands and sauntered away with a cackle. I noticed that Rosalie had walked off in the other direction, far away from us.

"Alright everyone," Esme said in such a soft tone that I was afraid no one had heard her, "batter up!". Edward left Bella and ran towards his spot, far far away from where we were standing. The thunder had started just like Alice said it would. The sun was setting which meant that it was time for me to go if I was going to make it to Emily's on time for dinner.

"Esme, thank you so much for having me over." I said, softly touching her arm.

She turned around with a soft smile already on her lips. "We loved having you! It was so nice to meet you Ellie. You are welcome any time."

I thanked her again, waved goodbye to anyone that could see me and hugged Bella.

I got into Jasper's car, trying not to let the excitement of driving an expensive car take over. I had forgotten that I had to go to La Push after the dinner so Jasper said that I could take it and to leave it parked around the corner of my house. Apparently, it would be gone in the morning. The inside was tan leather and smelled woodsy. Jacob would kill to drive it.

Finding the path out of the woods was difficult at first. No matter how many times I had spent my afternoons in the woods, everything always looked the same to me.

Jasper and Alice had said that I was more in tune with my surroundings. That explained why they had never paid attention to me before. I had spent the better part of my life staying out of the spotlight yet not hiding from it. I guess it made sense that I had found a way to keep that up for so long but somehow that was supposed to tie in with the reason why I saw the van incident so clearly but I just couldn't put it together. A physical shield like Bella's mental shield… it made sense, in a way, that we would have similar… abilities. Abilities that if ever put to the test, would complement each other perfectly. If only we were vampires-which is something that I hoped to never become.

A physical shield… I wonder to what extent exactly. It would be interesting trying to explain that to Emily and the pack. I laughed, imagining their faces when I say that I have untapped super powers. Maybe I could have Carlisle tell me more about his observations. I bet Bella would like to know too.

I heard my phone buzzing against the dashboard for the 5th time in the last minute. It was Bella. "Ellie! Listen. After you left, three vampires heard us playing and one of them smelled your scent on me. He's going after you. Edward says that it is only curiosity but that if he gets the chance he'll kill you. Get to Sam's house as fast as you can!"

I couldn't understand what was happening, "Bella, what are you saying?"

I heard the phone getting passed around and then, "Ellie, pay close attention." Edward's voice sounded odd, like he was trying hard to keep control of it. "You need to hurry up and get to Sam's house. No stops, not even stop signs. Don't ask any questions right now, just get to where you're going and then call me."

I got no warning, the panic just hit me. With my newfound adrenaline coursing through my veins I pressed down hard on the gas. "I'm so confused. How is this happening?"

"I'll explain everything later. Try to stay calm, we can sense your fear and your scent will just become stronger." Edward said, again in the same tone.

"Edward, you can't expect me to go on and stay calm if you aren't giving me any explanation!" I screamed into the phone, too panicked to watch my tone with the already bad tempered vampire. He growled something that sounded a lot like "step on it" and then hung up. So, I did what I was told and pushed Jasper's car to 80, thankful that I wasn't driving Bella's Chevy.

Once Emily's little house came into view I regretted this. I had brought danger to the one place that was safest. The small yellow house looked like a safe haven with its colorful flowers still visible even in the dark. The porch light was still on and I could see a girl that I didn't recognize, standing in front of the window facing out. Well that was just great, they had guests over.

The car screeched to a halt as I stopped too far from the porch- something that I realized now was a bad idea. I didn't waste time pulling the keys out of the ignition and opened my door wide before stumbling out. The distance from the car to the house wasn't too large, I could have easily have ran it and been at the door in just a few seconds but now my path was blocked. By who I could only assume was the vampire.

"Hello there darling. You smell even better than I thought"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! First off, thank you for the new follows. I appreciate the fact that you guys take the time to read my story and deem it good enough to follow. Second, please please try to review. Feedback is greatly appreciated!**

I knew it was him because of his immense beauty. His olive skin had a powdery sheen to it and his long black hair ran down his back. He was as stunning as the Cullens were but the big difference, what really set him apart from them, were his eyes. The Cullens had golden eyes, on some occasions black, but never, ever the crimson red that this man's eyes were. He was a nomad. He had to be.

I was face to face with the monster. One swift move and he could whisk me away. He looked at the house and then back at me, "Hm… apple pie". I saw him smile before he was at my neck, one hand grabbing my waist and the other pulling hard at my hair. Something caught his attention from behind me, making him loosen his grip and giving me enough time to turn and duck before the wolves came hurling over my head towards the vampire. I kept my body close to the ground, my face touching the grass. Sam and Jared were wrestling with the vampire. The speed at which they were moving was fantastic. Flashes and blurs of colored fur and long locks of black hair were the only indication that there was anything happening.

My fight or flight instincts kicked in and I braced myself to get up and run. I managed to prop myself up on my elbows and immediately hit my head on something warm and fluffy. I looked up and there he was. Paul had been standing over me the whole time. He watched the fight intently, ready to pounce if need be. I tried crawling out through his hind legs but he used his back paw to stop me and gently pushed me back in. I felt his body shake with a growl of what I could only guess was disapproval.

Suddenly the fighting in front of us seized and the vampire ripped through the trees, followed by both wolves. Paul jumped up, nudged me to my feet and pushed me in the direction of the house. He let out a small yelp and Emily flung the door open. I ran to her and slammed the door behind me. Immediately, she starting asking me every question she could think of.

"Do you know who that is? Do you know what he wanted? How did he know you'd be here?"

I tried catching my breath as she went on with the questions. "I don't know! I don't know… I was with the Cullens and then I left because I was going to be late for dinner here with Jared's new girlfriend and-actually, shouldn't she be here? Did she see any of that?" Emily's eyes widened. She had probably forgotten that the girl was here. I looked around and spotted her in the living room staring out the big window that faces out into the front yard. She had probably been standing there since the guys phased.

"Kim..." Emily said in the softest tone I had ever heard, "Sweetheart, are you okay?" The girl slowly turned to look at us, the color had left her face. She was beginning to resemble a sheet of paper. I recognized her from around the Reservation. Kim Conweller- I had never spoken to her much but everyone that knew her seemed to love her. She could have a lot of friends if she wasn't so quiet and kept to herself most of the time. I knew she hung out with Jacob and the guys in school sometimes.

"What just happened?" her voice small and shaky. I hadn't realized at what point Emily took my hand but she was pulling me to the couch where Kim had sat down. She had tucked her legs up to her chest, her eyes still set on the window. I couldn't imagine what must be going through her head! I'm sure that this isn't the way that she thought this evening was going to go.

Emily put her arms around us both and pulled us toward her. Looks like Kim wouldn't be getting an answer from us. "Just close your eyes and try to relax. Everything will be explained tomorrow morning over pancakes." Classic Emily, always trying to make people feel better with food.

I must have drifted off at some point, exhausted by the terrifying event because when I woke up, there was light coming in through the window and I was nestled against something warm with strong arms. Wait…

"Oh!" I screamed, unaware that the warm thing with strong arms had also been sleeping. Paul instantly woke up and the once soft embrace that I had been in now felt like a tight harness. He leapt up, me in his arms, and growled as he turned around and around trying to find the danger. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were asleep too. I just wasn't expecting… you." I said awkwardly.

Paul dropped me in the doorway to the kitchen where I saw that breakfast was already on the table and Kim seemed perfectly at ease with Jared. "Im sorry. I still had last night on my brain. Who was-"

Emily cut him off, singing, "Good morning sleepyhead! I hope you're hungry." She motioned to the last two empty seats at the table and then looked sternly at Paul, "I thought I told you not to ask any questions till after breakfast."

Jared held up my phone in the air and through a mouth full of scrambled eggs said, "You have like 3 missed calls from your dad."

I felt a pang in my chest and I could suddenly hear ringing in my ears. "Oh my God. My dad! Did anyone check on him?" I screamed, looking around frantically at everyone. I knew the answer as soon as the question left my lips. "I have to go." I ran out the door, leaving my coat and everyone's surprised faces behind.

I heard steps storming towards me not even a second after I walked out the door. "What? You're not going anywhere. There's a vampire trying to kill you!" Paul screamed but I wasn't listening. There were too many things going on in my head. Jasper said that I don't have a scent so maybe it didn't lead him to dad but the vampire smelled me on Bella. Nothing makes sense!

"What day is it? Saturday? Yes. It's saturday so he'll be at Billy's." I said, the confusion evident in my voice.

"Okay, good! We'll take care of him. We'll patrol around the Black house but you're staying here." Paul grabbed my arm gently although it was strong enough to keep me in place. And if that wasn't enough, than the look on his face alone could have stopped me.

"No. I'm going to Billy's because my dad may or may not be there and I have to know!" I screamed at him and mustered up all my strength to try to rip my arm away from him but it proved to be futile. I was angry now. Why was he trying to stop me? Didn't he know how important it was that I know that my dad is okay? "And who said you get to dictate what I do and don't do?" I screamed, as close to his face as I could get from a few feet below his eye level.

Somehow, that's what did the trick. He let me go with a hurt look on his face. He looked like he wanted to tell me something but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. I knew this would be my only chance to run away, so I gave him a last look, and felt a tightness tugging at my heart. I got into Jaspers car, thankful that I had left the keys in the ignition, and drove away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I sped through the narrow streets of La Push, hoping to see Jacob's tiny red house in the distance. Usually it didn't feel so far from Emily's house but today even the distance between her front door and the car had felt too much. If the cruiser wasn't in the driveway I don't know what I was going to do. Call Sam and hope that they'll get to him faster than me? Speed and possibly get a ticket, slowing me down even more? And Billy wouldn't be able to do much other than call Sam.

Finally, the house came up in the distance. No cars parked out front. I turned the car around, slowing down only just enough as to not tip over, and sped down the opposite direction that would lead me to Forks. I unlocked my phone without looking and dialed Emily's house phone. After only one ring, Sam's voice sounded through the receiver.

"My dad isn't at Billy's. My house. Now!" I screamed, hoping that what I had said had sounded like actual words.

This couldn't be happening. I don't know the whereabouts of dad or Bella. I had been too caught up in my own situation to even call Edward to see what was happening. At least I know she's safe with the vampires. One family member at a time… I'll call her after I make sure that dad is okay. If he isn't at home than I'll have to check the station, maybe Sheriff Keller couldn't make it in today.

My phone started buzzing and I answered, too frantic to look at the screen.

"Ellie, where are you?" My dad's voice rang through.

"Dad?" I said. My voice sounding weaker than I thought it would. A weight lifted off my shoulders, leaving me feeling lighter than I had ever felt. My vision got blurry with the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Bella left." he said, sounding tired.

Bella left? Where did she go? I swallowed the knot in my throat before answering, "I fell asleep at Emily's, but I'll be home soon. I'm like five minutes away."

"Okay, see you soon sweetheart." He didn't wait for me to answer; the line went dead.

I drove as fast as possible, not faster than the wolves though. I could see two of them running through the trees.

I didn't want to believe it yet. He was safely at home this whole time, but I wouldn't believe it till I could see it for myself.

The cruiser was parked in the driveway, in the same spot it always is. I parked Jasper's car around the corner like I was told to and ran to the door, swinging it open, knowing it would be unlocked. "Dad!" I yelled, "I'm home!". I ran into the kitchen where I saw him clutching a paper with scribbled writing on it. With my heart still beating fast, I tried to slow my breathing and walked up to him. Without saying a word, he gave me a kiss on the forehead and handed me the paper before sitting down at our little table.

The writing was Bella's. She had left a goodbye note addressed to me and dad. I had only gotten past the first sentence when he said, "She planned to leave it but I woke up just in time to catch her before she left. She said everything she needed to say."

Seeing my dad like this was strange. Billy tells me that the only time that he has ever seen my dad be anything other than happy was when my mom left with Bella. I had been so little when that happened, I couldn't remember anything about that time. I watched him from across our small kitchen, his head in his hands and his legs spread out under the table. I knew that Bella had left because of that vampire but how could I explain that to him?

In the letter, Bella apologized for leaving so abruptly and promised to contact one of us when she got to Phoenix. "She hasn't called me, but she should have gotten to her house by now." He said. I had been so panicked that I hadn't even checked my phone. I knew the reason why Bella had left but making up a lie on the spot wasn't one of my strengths so if I did have a call and told him, he would want me to call back immediately.

"She hasn't called me either. Maybe she just forgot. I'll see if she's getting emails since she's always waiting for mom's." I looked over at him again, he hadn't moved an inch. I tugged on his arm till he looked at me, his eyes red. "This wasn't your fault dad. She just didn't like it here… we did as much as we could." I waited till I got a nod from him and went upstairs to see if anyone happened to be checking their emails wherever they were.

There was a draft going through the hallway, it was colder than usual. I opened my door and held back a scream. Paul was sitting on the edge of by bed, nearest to the window as if ready to escape. I quickly shut the door behind me but stood there with no intention of coming any closer to him. Not after the way he had acted back at the house. He was watching me, taking me in as if it was the first time he was seeing me. I catch him doing this every now and then since that first day at Emily's house.

"Ellie…" he started but then paused "I-um… Well, I-um… the doctor vampire called Emily's house today. He told Sam that they were trying to get a hold of you. Apparently, the leech that was after Bella has some ability and it's been hard for them to kill it, but Bella is safe. He couldn't give too much information in case he was being heard." He looked away and then back at me, "And I-um… I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did earlier today. You were right. I have no business telling you what you can and can't do."

I looked into his eyes, they were sad. He held my gaze, waiting for me to forgive him, as he fidgeted with a loose thread on my comforter. "Okay. Just don't do it again." I whispered. I took a deep breath and sat next to him. "So, you took the window. You know, you could just ring the doorbell… my dad knows you."

He chuckled and smiled brightly, before putting his arm around my shoulders. "I have a flare for the dramatic, I guess." The shirt didn't stifle the warmth that always radiates from his chest.

Paul was older, only by two years but older nonetheless. He was mature when he had to be but playful at every other turn. Sam told me that his temper had never been an issue before the first time he phased but that the transition had been very painful for him and he had channeled all that pain into anger so now it was his greatest vice. It was never a big issue though unless he was in his wolf form. I don't know what it is, but Paul always made me feel lightheaded. I wasn't totally oblivious to my growing feelings for him and he seemed casually interested most of the time but then it was moments like these that made me think that there could maybe be more to it.

"Your dad is coming." He said, giving me one last squeeze before jumping out the window. I was left feeling cold, empty and wanting more time with him.

My dad burst into the room, breathing heavily and holding the phone in his hand, "Bella is in the hospital in Pheonix."


End file.
